Connecting to TCP Server

This guide explains how to connect to the Benzinga TCP streaming server and start receiving real-time data.

Server Endpoint

Parameter	Value
Host	tcp-v1.benzinga.io
Port	11337
Protocol	TCP
TLS	Optional (disabled by default)

Authentication

Connect using your username and API key:

bztcp -v -user YOUR_USERNAME -key YOUR_API_KEY

Command Line Options

Option	Description
-user	Your Benzinga TCP username
-key	Your API access key
-v	Enable verbose output

Connection Flow

Connection States

Once connected, you’ll see initialization messages:

Benzinga TCP Client initializing.
Connecting to 'tcp-v1.benzinga.io:11337' as user 'YOUR_USERNAME' (w/TLS: false)
Connected. Waiting for events.

After the connection is established, JSON messages begin streaming automatically.

TLS Configuration

By default, connections are made without TLS. To enable TLS encryption, use the appropriate flag provided by your client library.

Connection Best Practices

Keep your connection alive to receive continuous updates. Implement reconnection logic to handle network interruptions gracefully.

Recommended Practices

1. Implement Reconnection Logic: Network interruptions can occur; implement exponential backoff for reconnection attempts
2. Handle Disconnections: Monitor connection state and reconnect when needed
3. Buffer Messages: Process messages asynchronously to avoid blocking the receive loop
4. Log Connection Events: Track connection status for debugging and monitoring

Example Connection

Go

conn, err := bztcp.Dial("tcp-v1.benzinga.io:11337", "USERNAME", "API_KEY")
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

Python

from bztcp.client import Client

client = Client(username='USERNAME', key='API_KEY')

Next Steps

• Message Format - Learn about message structure
• Python Client - Full Python library documentation
• Go Client - Full Go library documentation